Internal-combustion engine



INTERNAL COMBUSTON ENGINE Filed May 5, 1922 2 Shee1s-5hee l GZDE ALLENSPENCER, 0F HLLYWOOD, CLIFGRNI.

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

Application led Hay 5, 1922. Serial No. 558,640.

To all hom it may camera:

Be i known that I, CLYDE ALLEN SPEN- CIB, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and resident of Hollywood, in the count 1 or' Los An eles andState of California, ave invente a new and Improved Internal- CombustionEngine, of which the following ie a full, clear, and exact description.

-"siderable diliculty has been experienced in- My invention relates toan internal combustion engine and aims to 'provide a device of thischaracter embodying certain novel construction over devices of this typeIt present manufactured.

' 1t is a well appreciated fact in connection with internal combustionengines that concident to the vibration caused by the reciprocation otthe pistons. Also considerable dilicult-y has been experienced withrespect to the connecting rods, wrist pins, cam shafts, poppet valves,etc.

Thus it is an object of the present invention to provide an internalcombustion engine in which the explosive force will be primarilytranslated into rotary energy so that the objections arising incident toreciprocation of the parts will be overcome.

A further -object of this invention is that of constructing a device ofthe charac- 'ter stated by means of which it will be feasible toeliminate parts heretofore restroke, and secure high enabled to cut downthe weight of the device to a minimum, make everyy stroke a powercompression within the cylinders.

l Further objects of this invention will appear `in the annexedspecication taken in connection with the drawings which latterillustrate one practical embodiment of the slmeandnwhich;

Figure 1 is a side elevation of an engine, embodying my improvedconstruction.

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view taken 'on the line 2-2 of Figure1.

' Figure 3 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view of one of thecylinders.

Figures 4 to 8 are diagrammatic views of the positions assumed by theparts dur.- ing4 the various intervals of one cycle, and

`igure 9 is a further diagrammatic view of the device and showing onepractical embodiment of the ignition system which may be associatedtherewith.

Attention is primarily invited to Figures' 1 and 2 in whinh it will beseen that the reference numeral 10 indicates the' base upon which theengine is supported by means of suitable standards 11, it being notedthat these standards provide bearings 1Q by means of which a hollowshaft 13 is rotatably supported, the latter in the embodimentillustrated, carrying a flywheel 14 adiacent one of its ends.

It will also be seen that one of the standards 11 carries an annulargear l5 presenting outwardly extending teeth 16, and the shaft 13carries a sleeve 17 formed with outwardly extending spaced arms 18,adjacent its ends.

A pipe 19 is rotatably carried between each of these pairs of arms, anda cylinder 20 is secured to each pipe, it being noted that one end ofthe said pipe is extended beyond its supporting arm in the form of atrunnion 29, and has a gear 21 aflixed to it,

,the teeth of whichmesh with the teeth 16 of the gear 15.

Thus it will be appreciated that upon the shaft 13 being rotated thearms 18 will also be rotated, and incident to the fact that thecylinders 20 are carried by these arms, said` cylinders will revolveabout said shaft as a center. .However, due to the fact that the gear 15is stationary, and that the gears 21 connected to the cylinders meshwith the gear 15 it will be obvious that the cylinders will be rotatedabout the trunnions 29 as axes simultaneously with their rotation' -23enci-rcles the tube adjacent these openl ings. A carburetor 24 isconnected to the manifold, and thus it will be obvious, assuming that apartial vacuum exists within the shaft 13 that a fuel mixture will beintroduced, which will enter the Said shaft through the openings 22, themixture iowing thence through the Apipes and so into the pipe 19connected to the cylinder 20.

Thus it will be obvious as in Figure 3, that when the cylinders areswung a centrifugal action will be set up which will result in a suctionwithin the same and within the pipes 25 thus causing a correspondingsuction in the shaft 13 resulting in the production of a fuel mixture onthe part of the carburetor which fuel mixture fiows to the cylinders. Inother words, it will be appreciated that the pipe 25 acts as acentrifugal blower forcing the mixture into the cylinders, and drawingthe same through the tube, manifold and carbureter. A lso iniFigure 3 itwill be noted that a `free piston 26 is slidably positioned within thecylinder 20, and the ends of this piston are preferably reduced toprovide deflecting portions 27. The pipe l2) communicates with thecylinder at points preferably intermediate the ends ot the same, and.open iugs 28 acting as exhaust ducts are disposed to each side of thetrunnion Q9 with which the gear 21 is associated. By this constructionit will be obvious that when the piston is iu either end of thecylinder, fluid will be free to/flow into the interior of the saidcylinder, through the pipe 19, the said fluid I heilig deflected in themanner indicated by the arrow, by virtue of the deflecting por-Vtio`us-27 of the piston. Also it will be obi'ious that as thepiston'moves Within the cylinder the outlet end of the pipe 19 is sealedat all times with the Aexception of those. intervals during which thepiston is iu one of its extreme positions'within the cylinder. Furtherit' will be obvious that bcl'ore the piston reaches this position thesume will uncover one. of the exhaust openings 28 so that-any productsof combustion within tlz' cylinder will be free to escape prior to thattime at which a fresh fuel mixture is being introduced into the same.

Now with a view of iguiting the fuel mixture within each of thecylinders' it willbe appreciated that any suitable means may lrevemployed, but l preferably utilize the eir- 'cuitvand structure. shownin Figure 9. In

this View it will be seen that l may employ a suitable source .of hightension current 30 from which high tension leads v31 extend` it beingnoted that one lead of this current is preferably grounded as at 32. Alsuitable timer 33 may also obviously be provided. The high tensionleads 31 terminate. in contact strips 34 and a ring 35, and wipers 36bear against this ring and are 'cylinders connected by means of suitableleads 37, to similar wipers 38 arranged adjacent to the Thus it will beobvious that when the wipers 36 are bearing against the strips 3l andthe Contact strips 38 are bearing against the contact strips 39associated with the cylinder current Will be passed through the leads 40associated With the latter and thus a spark will be produced by the plug11 within the cylinder.

Now referring to Figure t it willbe seen that the parts arediagrammatically illustrated as being in a position in which anexplosion is occurring in the A end of each of the cylinders. Thisexplosion will result in' the piston 26 in cach cylinder being forcedtowards the opposite end B of the cylinder, it being appreciated thatany products of combustion within the B end of the cylinder have passedthrough the proper opening-Q3 and that a combustible mixture is alsopassed into this end of the cylinder through the pipe 1S). In otherWords the explosion will cause the cylinder to move while the pistonremains relatively stationary, which is particularly the case where alight cylinder and a very heavy piston, of the nature illustrated, areemployed. Thu-s when the piston moves to the position shown in Figure 5the mixture in the B end of the cylinder will be compressed while theexploding'charge will still be forcing the piston in the directionindicated by the arrows. When the parts reach the position shown inFigure t it will be appreciated that the products of combustion withinthe A end of the cylinder will be escaping through the proper opening 28provided for this purpose, and in this instance the mixture within the Bend of the cylinder will be compressed to almost its fullest extent,this limit ojl compression being reached in the position ol the vpartsas shown in Figure i. ln this position it will be seen that the productsol'Y combustion have been exhausted from within the A end of thecylinder, while the l'uel charge within the B end of the cylinder hasbeen completely compressed, and as iu Figure S, ignition will now occurin the l end ot the cylinder, and the entire cycle olI opel-:dienwill-be accordingly re- 'ersed. i

v 'l`lius in the embodiment illustrated in which two cylindersareemployed, it will be understoodthat two explosions will occur in eachend of each cylinder during each complete revolution of the shaft 13.Thus eight explosions occur for each complete revolution of shaft 13,and it will be appreciated that the motion of the arms and cylinders istobe predicated to the fact that incident to the reaction of thecylinder to the movement of the relatively heavy piston the former willbe caused to move in a positive manner as aforedescribed.

minces Freni lthe foregoing description, it Will be apparent that theindividual explosions Within the kcylinders Will create c force whichwill rotate the supporting' member including the arms 18 thus impartingc similar movement to the shaft 13 and the iiy Wheel ill, end thatrotation oi said supporting member Will, through the gears 15 end 21,ceuse the cylinders to revolve about their trunnions 29. lue to the highvelocity stoodtliat numerous modifications of structure and4rearrangement of' parts may readily be resorted to Without. in the leastdeparting from the scope of my claims; Which are;

l. An internal combustion engine, including a rotatable shalt, asupporting member carried thereby, cylinders rotatably mounted insaidjsupporting member, and means for rotating' said cylinders Withrespect to seid supporting member and about said shaft as acenter.

Q. n internal combustion engine including e shaft, arms carried by seidshaft, cylinders-rotatably carried by said arms, i iiz'red gear,further. gears carried by said cylinders and engaging seid lifted gear,ineens for introducing s fuel mixture into said. cylinders, ineens forigniting the same and e piston' slidable Withinfeach of said cylinders.,

in internalcornbustioii engine including e rotetabl'e'sliaft, asupporting'rnember carried thereby,cylinders rotatably mounted iu saidsupporting member, means associated. with said cylinders for causingsaid supporting member and shaft to rotate, andl connections betweensaid cylinders and shaft for revolving seid cylinders ebout'said shaftes' a center as said supporting' member rotates. A'

Il. An internal combustion engine including a rotatable shaft, esupporting;V member carried thereby, cylinders rotatably in saidsupl'iorting member, means associated with said cylinders :tor causingseid supporting member and shaft to rotate, and gearing operable torotate seid cylinden i said supporting member as the latter is rotated.

5. An internal combustion engine including a rotatablel shaft, asupport-ing @5 carried thereby, cylinders rotatebly mounted in saidsupporting member, means associeted with said cylinders for causing seidsupporting member and shaft to rotate, e gear carried by each cylinder,end another geen common to the gears ot' said cylinders for operatingseid gears to, rotate said cylinders in said supporting niernberas 'theletter rotates.

lporting member, means Within s cylinl ders for causing rotation oi seidsupporti member, und ineens for rotating tl'ie cir indere as thesupporting member rotates 8. An internal combustion engine uficlud-y inga rotatable shaft, e supportirurJ meinberf carried thereby, e pluralityof cylinders mounted in said supporting member, tron nions for rotatablysupporting said cylin ders in said supper-tin member., means esseciatedwith seid cylin 'ere :lor causing rota tion of seid supporting memberund shett., les

and means operatively connected to seid trunnions to rotate tbe semewhen seid sup Aporting member is revolved.

9. An internal combustion engine includ ing e rotatable shaft, .asupporting member carried thereby, means carried by said meniber forrotating the saine, en ineens ac tuated by the rotation of 'seidsupporting member for revolving the lest named ineens about 'said shaftas e'center.

Y cerne ALLEN srnncen.

